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‘Follow your desire, allow the heart to forget’, so sang the ancient Egyptian harpist as he encouraged the partygoers to relax and have a good time. The ancient Egyptians loved nothing more than to feast and celebrate whenever the opportunity arose. This lecture will explore the depiction of celebration in Egyptian art, from the elaborate temple festivals to banquets with family and friends. We shall examine the ancient art in order to explore the clothes and adornments worn; the food and drink consumed; and the entertainment enjoyed. We shall pay particular attention to the so-called ‘banqueting scenes’on the walls of the New Kingdom (c1550 –c1069 BC) non-royal tombs at Thebes (on Luxor’s west bank).

Lucia Gahlin is an Egyptologist who works in museums and on excavations in Egypt, and leads tours to Egypt. She mostly lectures. She is an Honorary Research Associate at University College London’s Institute of Archaeology and teaches Egyptology for the University of Exeter. She also works in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London where she chairs the Friends of the museum. Co-Director of Bloomsbury Summer School at UCL. Her publications include Egypt: gods, myths, religion (2001).